I 


Yv'nV 


“  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature  P — Mark 
^^And  the  Angel  answered  and  said  unto  the  women  *  *  go  quickly  and  tell 
His  disciples  that  He  is  risen  from  the  dead P — Matt.  28 :y. 

“And  many  of  the  Samaritans  of  that  city  believed  on  him  for  the  saying  of 
the  womanl" — John  q.'gg. 


I  SO?-^ 


THOUGHTS  FOR  GIRLS,  BY  ONE  OF  THEM. 


FOURTH  EDITION. 


This  Pamphlet  can  be  obtained  at  the  office  of  the  MISSIONARY  Review, 
qgb  W.  20th  St.,  Hew  York.  Single  copy,  ^  cents.  12  copies,  j'o  cents,  j'o 
copies,  $2.00.  100  copies,  $3. So.  Any  avails  will  go  to  Foreign  Missions. 


SHALL  I  GO  P 


“Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,  ” — Mark  i6;  15. 

“  And  the  Angel  answered  and  said  unto  the  women  *  *  go  quickly  and  tell  His 
disciples  that  He  is  risen  from  the  dead.’’ — Matt.  28:  7. 

“  And  many  of  the  Samaritans  of  that  city  believed  on  him  for  the  saying  of  the 
woman.” — John  4:39. 

The  Bible  teaches  women’s  duty  and  privilege  in  Christian 
work.  Women  are  included  in  the  admonitions,  warnings  and 
commands  given  to  the  children  of  Israel.  In  the  service  of  song 
they  had  a  large  share.  All  the  women  went  out  after  Miriam 
when  she  exclaimed  :  “  Sing  ye  to  the  Lord,  for  He  hath  triumphed 
gloriously.” — Ex.  15:21.  “When  David  was  returned  from  the 
slaughter  of  the  Philistine,  the  women  came  out  of  all  cities  of 
Israel,  singing  and  dancing.” — i  Sam.  xviii:  6.  Women  had  an 
active  part  in  the  equipment  of  the  Tabernacle.  “  And  all  the 
women  that  were  wisehearted  did  spin  with  their  hands,  and  brought 
that  which  they  had  spun.” — Ex.  35. 

In  the  prophets  we  see  them  as  mourners.  In  the  psalms 
as  preachers — “  The  Lord  giveth  the  word  :  the  women  that  pub¬ 
lish  the  tidings  are  a  great  host.”— Ps.  68  :  ii.  The  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  records  signal  services  rendered  by  women,  nor  does  it  close 
without  a  prophetic  glance  at  the  future  enlargement  of  their 
work.  “Your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy.  *  *  ♦ 
Upon  the  handmaids  in  those  days  will  I  pour  out  my  spirit.” — ^Joel 
2.  Add  to  this  the  words  of  Christ,  and  women’s  Christian  privil- 
leges  and  responsibilities  cannot  be  doubted.  But  just  what  is  our 
great  work  as  women  of  this  19th  century  ? 

Our  Saviour  has  died  and  risen.  The  door  of  heaven  is  open  to 
every  poor  sinner.  “  Whosoever  shall  call  upon  the  name  of  the 
Lord  shall  be  saved.”  Yet  millions  of  women  know  not  this  won¬ 
derful  truth — and  why  not  ?  Christian  women  have  not  told  them. 

In  the  selection  of  his  disciples  our  Saviour  makes  prominent 
a  single  requisite.  And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  “  Come  ye  after  me 
and  I  will  make  you  to  become  fishers  of  men,  and  straightway  they 
forsook  their  nets  and  followed  him!'  Prompt  obedience  was  repeat¬ 
edly  the  condition  of  signal  blessings.  Mary  showed  her  knowledge 
of  Christ  when  she  said,  “  Whatsoever  he  saith  unto  you,  do  itf 

The  most  vital  questions  for  every  Christian  woman  to  day  arc, 


4 

What  Would  He  Have  Me  Do?  Am  I  Doing  It? 


As  to  the  first,  we  have  a  distinct  answer  in  the  first  chapter  of 
Acts.  At  the  ascension,  as  the  group  of  disciples  gathered  around 
Jesus,  with  longings  inexpressible,  they  must  have  desired  to  show 
their  love  to  him.  The  Saviour  knows  it  and  in  the  solemn  moment 
of  parting  he  confides  his  one  great  desire  to  those  whom  he  deems 
worthy  to  fulfill  the  sacred  trust.  “  Ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto 
me  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all  Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  and  unto  the  utter¬ 
most  part  of  the  earth.”  Before  the  clouds  received  him  out  of  their 
sight  his  last  words  were  “  uttermost  part  of  the  earth!'  What  greater 
legacy  could  he  have  left?  Such  a  trust  shows  his  confidence  in 
our  love  and  faithfulness.  “  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one 
of  the  least  of  these,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me.”  As  these  first 
Missionaries  walked  back  to  Jerusalem,  did  they  discuss  what  con¬ 
stitutes  a  call?  Is  each  one  of  us  included?  or.  Where  is  the 
money  to  come  from?  Ah  no,  these  hearts  were  intent  on  their 
Master’s  orders.  Obedience  was  simply  a  question  of  supreme 
love  to  Jesus.  When  Garibaldi  had  been  defeated  at  Rome,  he  is¬ 
sued  his  immortal  appeal :  “  Soldiers,  I  have  nothing  to  offer  you 
but  cold,  and  hunger,  and  rags,  and  hardship.  Let  him  who  loves 
his  country  follow  me.”  Thousands  of  the  youths  of  Italy  sprang  to 
their  feet.  Girls,  if  we  see  our  work  laid  upon  us  with  all  the 
emphasis  of  a  Saviour’s  last  wish  ;  if  we  are  honestly  asking : 
Shall  I  carry  the  message  of  salvation  to  heathen  women  ?  let  the 
answer  be  prompted  by  pure  love  and  gratitude  to  Jesus.  He  knew 
us  when  he  gave  love  as  our  motive  for  work.  Nothing  short  of  it 
will  keep  us  faithful  and  strong.  Do  you  say. 


I  Want  the  Assurance  that  I  am  Personally  Called  ? 

“  Let  him  that  heareth  say,  come.”  Thank  God,  this  means 
me,  just  as  truly  as  “Whosoever  will,  let  him  come.”  Our  Gov¬ 
ernment  in  dire  extremity  calls  for  recruits  between  the  ages  of 
25  and  50.  What  would  you  say  of  one  who,  refusing  to  go, 
would  give  the  excuse  that  he  had  not  received  a  personal  call  ? 
Living  face  to  face  with  the  fact  that  800,000,000  are  without  a 
knowledge  of  Christ,  can  we  ask — have  I  a  call  to  tell  them  of 
Jesus?  What  mean  the  cries  from  desolate  heathen  homes,  from 
hundreds  of  children  carrying  deep  gashes  and  brands  made  on  the 
tender  flesh  to  bring  out  an  evil  spirit,  or  the  still  deeper  heart¬ 
burnings  which  come  with  every  added  year  of  life  ?  What  means 
the  mute  appeal  from  India’s  twenty-one  million  widows,  1,500,000 


5 


under  24,  and  10,000  under  10  years  of  age  ?  Girls,  is  there  not 
here  a  personal  call  to  “  carry  good  tidings,  to  proclaim  liberty  to 
the  captives  and  the  opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  are  bound  ?  ” 
It  was  a  call  which  reached  to  heaven  and  brought  down  the  Saviour. 
Can  it  do  less  in  a  human  heart? 


But  T  have  not  a  Missionary  Spirit. 

God  forbid  that  we  should  undertake  this  work  without  the 
true  spirit.  Let  us  not  lower  our  standard  but  remember  that  “  the 
preparation  of  the  heart  is  from  the  Lord.”  Jesus  emphasized  the 
essential  requirement  and  “  commanded  them  that  they  should  not 
depart  from  Jerusalem,  but  wait  for  the  promise  of  the  Father.”  Of 
the  disciples  it  is  written — ”  These  all  continued  with  one  accord  in 
prayers  and  supplication  with  the  women  and  Mary  the  Mother  of  Jesus 
and  his  brethren.”  Acts  i,  14.  “  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God  ;  I  will 

yet  for  this  be  inquired  of  by  the  house  of  Israel  to  do  it  for  them.” 
We  who  are  young  and  tremble  in  presence  of  soul-work  can  rest 
on  Zech.5  iv.  6,  How  earnestly  we  would  seek  the  Missionary 
spirit,  if  we  remembered  that  it  is  our  badge  of  discipleship.  “  If 
ye  love  me,  keep  my  commandments.”  “  Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye 
do  what  I  command  you.”  Do  you  say. 


I  FEAR  I  HAVE  NOT  ALL  THE  QUALIFICATIONS  NeEDFUL  ? 

Cor.  i,  18^31  mentions  five  things  which  God  uses.  The  weak, 
foolish,  base  and  despised  things  and  things  that  are  not.  Why  ? 
that  no  one  may  glory  in  his  own  strength,  wisdom  or  power. 
Moses  made  excuses  until  he  learned  it  was  not  the  rod,  not  Moses, 
but  the  Lord  was  the  deliverer.  Samson  with  his  jawbone  of  an 
ass,  Gideon’s  armament  of  empty  pitchers,  David  and  his  sling, 
Shamgar  with  his  oxgoad,  Elisha  and  his  staff,  Dorcas  with  her 
needle,  and  Mary  with  her  alabaster  box  of  ointment,  are  each  a 
standing  rebuke  to  every  faint  hearted  Christian.  Our  only  fear 
need  be  that  we  are  not  offering  to  God  the  very  best  we  have. 

If  we  cannot  give  our  thousands, 

We  can  give  the  widow’s  mite. 

But  let  us  remember  the  widow’s  mite  was  all  she  had.  One 
who  has  been  a  missionary  a  quarter  of  a  century  sends  us  girls 
this  message:  ”  If  you  have  given  yourselves  a  living  sacrifice  unto 


6 


God,  fear  not  the  Foreign  field.”  “  Go  ye  therefore^  because  all 
power  is  given  unto  Me!'  Do  you  say 

I  CAN  Work  at  Home  ? 

We  certainly  would  not  be  Missionary  candidates  if  not 
Christian  workers.  But  consider — “  The  good  is  a  great  enemy  of 
the  best.”  Are  we  working  for  souls  entirely  dependent  on  us 
for  a  knowledge  of  Christ  ?  Could  not  we  do  more  for  our  col¬ 
lege,  our  literary  circle,  our  sewing  school,'!  our  church  and  our 
home  by  enlisting  it  to  support  us  with  its  contributions  and 
prayers,  by  sending  back  letters  and  thus  bringing  it  into  closer 
sympathy  with  Christ  and  his  work  ? 

Pastor  Harms,  instead  of  getting  men  from  the  learned  Univer¬ 
sities,  urged  upon  his  own  people,  farmers,  artisans  and  mechanics, 
the  duty  of  carrying  the  gospel  to  Africa.  A  ship  was  built  for  the 
purpose  and  the  first  band  of  missionaries  reached  Zululand  in  1854. 
During  the  following  17  years  Pastor  Harms’  parish  in  Hanover 
enjoyed  one  uninterrupted  revival  in  which  10,000  souls  were  hope¬ 
fully  converted.  As  to 

Ties  of  Friendship, 

Let  us  prayerfully  read  Matt,  x,  37.  As  copartners  in  the  work 
of  redeeming  our  world  to  Christ  we  are  to  know  the  “fellowship 
of  his  sufferings.”  Oh  to  rise  to  the  holy  enthusiasm  born  of  a 
desire  to  have  the  sufferings  of  Christ  abbund  in  us.  Paul  viewed 
souls  from  the  standpoint  of  the  cross  and  so  exclaims  — 
“Who  now  rejoice  in  my  sufferings  for  you,  and  fill  up  that  which 
is  behind  of*the  afflictions  of  Christ  in  my  flesh  for  his  body’s 
sake,  which  is  the  church.”  We  need  this  enthusiasm.  We  need 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  make  us  realize  the  value  of  one 
immortal  soul.  We  need  Him  to  open  our  eyes  and  hearts  to  the 
fact  that  1800  years  have  passed  since  the  command  to  disciple  all 
nations  was  given,  and  ^  of  our  race  are  still  without  hope,  without 
Christ,  without  God  in  the  world.  We  need  His  help  to  realize 
our  relation  to  the  world’s  redemption  ;  to  the  fact  that  while  the 
church  has  been  gaining  some  3,000,000  converts  from  heathendom, 
the  natural  increase  of  heathen  has  been  200,000,000  ! 

Praise  God;  His  Spirit  is  carrying  home  these  facts  and  lead¬ 
ing  many  to  say  “Here  am  I,  send  me.” 

To  the  list  of  Missionary  Volunteers,  1,401,  as  given  in  the 
third  edition  of  this  pamphlet,  we  can  now  add  : — 


7 


Unversity  of  New  York, . 6 

Heidelberjr,  Ohio, . 7 

Dennison  University,  Granville,  O.,  .  7 

Female  Seminary,  “  “  •  •  5 

Otterbein  Univ.,  Westerville,  “  .  .  4 

State  Univ.,  Columbus,  “  .  .  10 

Hillsdale  College,  Hillsdale,  Mich.,  .  .  24 

Albion  College,  Albion,  “  .  .  24 

Michigan  Univ.,  Ann  Arbor,  “  •  .  30 

Olivet  Univ.,  Olivet,  “  •  •  34 

Presbyterian  Sem.,  Kalamazoo,  “  .  .  10 

Baptist  College,  “  “  .  .  16 

Holland,  “  .  .  lo 

O.  N.  W.  Normal,  Ada,  O., . 9 

Park  Col.,  Parkville,  Mo., . 70 

Total  to  May  i8th,  1887, . 


N.  N.  A.  Normal  School,  Lebanon,  O.,  .  16 
Wittenburg  College,  Springfield,  “  .11 
Wesleyan  University,  Delaware,  “  .  24 

Wooster  College,  Wooster,  “  .  16 

Earlham  College,  Richmond,  Ind.,  .  .  4 
Hanover  College,  Hanover,  “  .  .  7 

Hope  College,  Holland,  Mich.,  ...  15 
Depauw  University,  Greencastle,  Ind.,. .38 
Macalester  College,  Macalester,  Minn.,.  10 
Hamlin  University,  Hamlin,  “  14 

Carleton  Col.,  Northfield,  “  31 

Minneapolis,  “  23 

Wabash  Col., . 14 

Liberty,  Mo.,  . . ip 

Other  Colleges, . 172 

. 2,081. 


Of  this  total  some  400  are  girls.  This  missionary  interest  is 
reaching  College  girls  chiefly  through  Young  Women’s  Christian 
Associations.  In  32  Colleges  recently  visited  by  the  National 
Secretary,  there  are  140  young  women  who  expect  to  be  Mission¬ 
aries.  Has  not  the  “  Y.  W.  C.  A.”  “  come  to  the  kingdom  for 
such  a  time  as  this  ”  ?  Can  we  not  enlist  every  one  of  the  600 
schools  where  young  women  are  educated  that  so  ufiitedly  we  may 
undertake  work  ;  that  of  carrying  the  Gospel  into  every  Zenana 
and  Harem  ?  “  It  pleased  God  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching  to 
save  them  that  believe,”  and  it  pleased  Him  to  make  woman  the  first 
herald  of  resurrection  news.  Our  Saviour  has  not  left  us  in  doubt 
as  to  what  he  would  have  us  do. 


Are  we  doing  it  ? 

The  following  table,  though  incomplete,  will  help  us  in  answer¬ 
ing  this  question. 

Estimating  the  heathen  population  at  850,000,000,  at  least  425,- 
000,000  are  women  and  girls.  According  to  statistics  of  1884- 
1885,  the  living  communicants  in  the  churches  of  all  Christendom 
number  28,736,647.  Fourteen  millions,  less  than  \  this  total,  will 
not  be  too  large  an  estimate  for  female  communicants.  We  14,000,- 
000  Christian  women  ought  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  425  million 
heathen  women. 

This  table  shows  that  our  organized  work  for  this  purpose  be¬ 
gan' in  England  52  years  ago. 


8 


I. 

II. 


III. 

IV. 
V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 
XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXL 

XXII. 

XXIII. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 

XXVII. 

XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXI. 

XXXII. 

XXXIII. 

XXXIV. 

XXXV. 


STATISTICS  OF 


Union  Missionary  Society . 

1.  Society  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  .  . . 

2.  “  “  Northwest, . 

3.  “  “  Northern  New  York . 

4.  “  “  Board  of  Missions,  New  York,  .  .  .  ,. 

5.  “  “  the  Southwest, . 

Board  of  Presbyterian  Church,  South, . 

Society  of  the  U.  P.  Church, . 

Reformed  Presbyterians, . 

“  (Dutch)  Church, . 

Cumberland  Presbyterians,  .  . . 

*Board  of  Missions,  (Congl.) . 

1.  “  “  Interior, . . . 

2.  “  “  Pacific, . 

Baptist  F.  M.  Society, . 

I.  “  ‘‘  “  of  West, . 

Free  Baptist  F.  M.  Society, . 

Protestant  Episcopal  Auxiliary,  . . 

Society  of  the  M.  E.  Church . 

“  “  “  Church  South, . 

“  “  Methodist  Prot.  Church, . 

Association  United  Brethren, .  . . 

Disciple  Church, . 

Mite  Society  African  M.  E.  Church, . .  . 

Evangelical  Association, .  '.  .  .  . 

Lutheran  General  Synod, . 

Canada  Presbyterian  Church,  E.  Sect., . 

I.  “  “  “  W.  Sect., . 

Canada  Methodist  Church, . 

Baptist  Maritime  Provinces, . 

1.  Baptist  Society  of  Ontario, . 

2.  “  ‘‘  Quebec, . 

Friends  ¥.  M.  Society, . 

Society  for  Education  in  East . . 

Indian  N.  Sch.  and  Instruction, . 

f  Church  of  England  Zenana, . .  . 

Association  Presbyterian  Church, . 

L.  M.  S.  Ladies’  Committee, . 

Free  Church  of  Scotland, . 

Estab.  “  . 

Zenana  Mission  U.  P.  Church,  Scotland, . 

Irish  Presbyterians, . 

Wesleyan  Methodists, . 

Ladies’  Society  for  China, . 

Totals  of  all  Boards, . 

Total  of  American  Societies,  ............ 

*  Now 


<V 

(A 

u 

c/5 

cS 

Cuo 

X 

c 

p 

0 

< 

P3 

1861 

52 

I41 

1870 

L327 

1,213 

1870 

1,506 

t  • 

1872 

102 

1870 

489 

239 

1877 

294 

•  • 

369 

469 

•  • 

1875 

190 

•  • 

1879 

589 

•  • 

1868 

120 

97 

1869 

1,275 

•  • 

1873 

50 

25 

1870 

1,189 

528 

1871 

L363 

327 

1873 

193 

49 

1871 

43 

,  , 

1869 

3,670 

*  • 

1878 

1,406 

514 

1879 

102 

20 

1875 

303 

86 

454 

53 

1884 

•  •  • 

1879 

302 

29 

1877 

40 

,  , 

1876 

190 

48 

1881 

68 

18 

1884 

123 

2 

1877 

76 

32 

32 

1881 

9 

1834 

.  .  . 

1852 

150 

1880 

•  • 

1879 

. 

1875 

.  .  . 

1837 

560 

1837 

36 

1880 

•  . 

1874 

119 

1879 

503 

1850 

*  «  • 

17,763 

16,395 

1,01 1 

3.534 

3.534 

O18 

+ 


9 


WOMAN’S  BOARDS. 


Missionaries. 

1 

Bible  Readers 
and  Teachers. 

1 

Schools. 

1 

j  Pupils. 

1 

Income. 

1 

Year’s  Gain  or 

j  Loss. 

1 

Home  Ad. 

Cost  per  cent. 

Amount  ex¬ 

pended  on 
Salaries. 

49 

•  , 

78 

2,881 

$  37,683  18 

$  7,095  59t 

$  3,624  72 

10.64 

124 

102 

152 

123,678  08 

15,100  I4f 

1,596  66 

1.30 

$  600  00 

61 

48 

98 

65,779  21 

6,645  03* 

4,457  48 

7.26 

1,753  24 

7 

15 

3 

53 

9,327  80 

5,286  06 

371  35 

4.14 

34 

62 

47 

42,186  93 

1,109  *0* 

2,318  38 

5.80 

•  •  •  • 

14 

5,163  56 

1,517  41* 

98  06 

1.93 

.... 

16,033  16 

3,562  53* 

- 

10,000  00 

1,635  00* 

^  * 

19,553  12 

•  •  •  •  » 

1,020  i7f 

809  45 

4.31 

8 

10,420  26 

1,560  57* 

767  08 

7.94 

600  00 

98 

98 

209 

133,433  97 

4,5H  57t 

3,393  58 

2.60 

•  •  •  • 

43 

35 

58 

44,080  57 

1,484  05 1 

2,822  43 

6.84 

•  •  •  * 

4 

.  . 

• 

3,408  99 

«  •  •  •  •  • 

•  •  •  • 

.  . 

t  •  •  « 

27 

57 

109 

4,049 

59,871  31 

3,553  4ot 

4,723  51 

8.56 

1,750  00 

25 

107 

147 

1,656 

32,259  77 

1,840  97t 

2,165  24 

7.00 

1,486  48 

7 

•  « 

•  • 

»  •  • 

5,217  56 

494  3 if 

22,125  62 

3,946  78* 

.  •  . 

•  • 

•  •  •  • 

59 

225 

203 

5,772 

157,442  66 

14,243  66^- 

.  . 

•  • 

1,400  00 

16 

6 

21 

522 

67,448  04 

14,795  92* 

1,556  83 

2.36 

«  •  •  • 

2 

1 

I 

47 

3,000  00 

864  68* 

183  42 

4.91 

*  •  ■  • 

6 

9 

5 

175 

11,151  84 

2,015  15* 

468  72 

4.38 

600  00 

16,620  00 

•  •  •  • 

,  . 

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lO 


The  886  missionaries  we  are  now  supporting  gives  us  only  one 
missionary  to  15,801  female  communicants.  If  equally  distributed, 
these  missionaries  would  each  have  a  parish  of  479,683  souls,  i.  e., 
we  are  providing  but  a  single  missionary  to  over  400,000  heathen 
women  and  girls. 

In  the  annual  reports  of  these  societies  no  fact  is  more  impres¬ 
sive  and  ominous  than  the  inadequate  supply  of  workers.  One 
society  has  been  looking  over  a  year  for  a  lady  physician  ;  another 
reports  but  a  single  new  worker  sent  during  the  year.  During  our 
late  war  500,000  lives  were  sacrificed  to  save  the  Union;  to  save 
the  heathen  world  the  whole  church  of  Christ  is  not  giving  7,000 
men  and  women.  Christian  mothers,  will  you  not  give  us  up  in 
such  a  crisis  ?  Instead  of  sending  us  to  a  studio  or  a  conservatory 
will  you  not  support  us  in  Harems  and  Zenanas,  that  we  may 
gather  jewels,  even  the  King’s  daughters  from  the  ends  of  the 
earth  ? 

Do  we  not  need  more  united  effort  in  this  work  of  reaching  v 
425,000,000  women  and  girls?  Would  we  not  do  it  faster  if  Eng¬ 
lish  and  American  girls  exchange  thoughts  on  the  subject;  if,  as 
has  been  suggested,  we  hold  a  missionary  convention  at  least  once 
every  year ;  if  those  of  us  who  are  in  schools  and  colleges  petition  for 
a  new  study — that  of  Missions,  and  above  all,  if  each  one  of  us 
seeks  a  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  even  the  power  to  lead  souls  to 
Jesus?  Shall  we  have  the  Sabbath  sunset  hour  as  our  special  time 
of  prayer  for  guidance  and  power  to  fulfill  our  Saviour’s  last  com¬ 
mand  ? 

The  president  of  Smith  College  writes  us  that  since  the  open¬ 
ing  of  that  college  some  250  have  graduated,  but  so  far  as  he  knows 
only  two  of  these  are  in  Foreign  Missionary  work.  Of  Vassar 
graduates,  695,  about  a  dozen  names  could  be  given  as  Foreign 
Missionaries.  Here  no  record  is  kept  of  those  who  go.  From 
Wellesley  College  21  names  are  given.  Even  Mt.  Holyoke 
Seminary,  about  to  celebrate  her  fiftieth  anniversary,  can  claim  but  * 
150  Foreign  Missionaries  during  her  entire  history.  The  crisis  in 
most  lives  comes  during  college  days.  Many  a  student,  likeMargaret 
Campbell,  has  heard  the  call  to  the  heathen  while  still  within  seminary 
walls.  Is  not  God  speaking  to  us,  girls,  in  the  present  missionary  re¬ 
vival  among  our  colleges?  If  each  lady  communicant  had  one  to 
represent  her  in  the  foreign  field  we  should  have  7,000,000  instead 
of  886  missionaries.  History  shows  that  God  has  signally  blessed 
woman’s  work.  Many,  like  Mrs.  McFarland  of  Alaska,  Miss  Rankin 
in  Mexico,  and  Miss  Sharp  in  Africa,  have  been  pioneers.  Many 
others  as  Mrs.  Mumford  in  Bulgaria,  Miss  Bella  Nassau  ontheOgove, 
and  Miss  Anstey  in  India  are  standing  alone  conducting  the  whole 


work  of  a  mission.  The  number  of  missionaries  sent  by  the 
American  Board  during  its  75  years  is  786  men  and  1,080  women. 

Several  girls  in  one  of  our  largest  Seminaries  have  banded 
together  as  a  Missionary  Association ;  they  sign  a  statement  de¬ 
claring  themselves  willing  and  desirous  to  go  wherever  God  shall 
call  them.  Though  no  more  of  a  pledge  than  what  every  Christian 
should  be  willing  to  make,  it  has  in  this  case  proved  as  a 
special  committal  to  Foreign  Missionary  work.  Monthly  meetings 
of  prayer  are  held  by  the  members.  At  these  the  oneness  of  aim 
inspires  the  earnest  petition  that  God  will  prepare  and  then  lead 
each  into  missionary  work. 

Dating  from  1879,  this  society  has  over  eighty  members  and 
some  fifteen  representatives  in  foreign  lands. 

Our  table  shows  that  12  societies  have  given  ;^48, 470.20  less 
in  1885  than  in  1884.  The  total  income  gives  an  average  of  less 
than  ;^66  for  each  auxiliary — the  average  gain  of  the  year  being 
less  than  ;^3.00,  (;^2.4i)  for  each  auxiliary.  For  American  societies 
the  average  gain  is  ;^i.34. 

One  dollar  and  thirty-four  cents,  not  the  increase  per  member 
but  for  each  auxiliary,  and  this  while  heathen  are  dying  at  the  rate 
of  100,000  a  day.  This  is  our  advance  under  the  banner  of  Jesus. 
What  is  the  advance  in  Satan’s  host?  Careful  statistics  tell  us  that 
there  are  some  200  millions  more  heathen  in  the  world  to-day  than 
when  Carey  went  to  India.  With  these  facts  must  be  remembered 
also  another  :  The  majority  of  church  communicants  are  doing 
nothing.  The  Ladies’  Association  of  Scotland  is  not  alone  in 
lamenting  that  two-thirds  of  the  parishes  are  recorded  as  non-con¬ 
tributing  to  its  funds.  Where  is  the  church  in  England  or  America 
in  which  one-third  of  the  ladies  are  obeying  Christ’s  command  ? 

If  but  ten  million  out  of  our  14,000,000  female  communicants 
would  so  work  as  that  during  the  next  14  years  each  would  reach 
100  souls,  the  whole  unevangelized  world  would  hear  of  Christ  be¬ 
fore  1900. 

In  answering  the  question.  Shall  I  Go  ?  let  us  remember,  dear 
girls,  that  failure  to  realize  or  acknowledge  responsibility  does  not 
diminish  it — that  woman  was  made  the  first  herald  of  resurrection 
news.  Above  all,  let  us  remember  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
how  he  said — “  Whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  God,  the  same  is  my 
brother  and  my  sister  and  mother'd 


To-Day. 


“  Will  you  not  offer  yourself  to-day 
To  the  service  of  the  King,? 

Yourself  redeemed  by  the  Saviour’s  blood 
To  the  feet  of  the  Saviour  bring  ? 

Will  you  not  offer  yourself  to-day 

While  your  body  and  soul  are  strong  ? 

You  know  not  that  God  will  spare  your  life. 
And  he  may  not  spare  it  long. 

Will  you  not  offer  yourself  to-day 

While  it  costs  you  something  to  give  ? 

A  priceless  gift  may  never  be  yours 
To  offer  again  while  you  live. 


Will  you  not  offer  yourself  to-day 

While  the  Saviour  needs  your  life  ? 

It  may  be  that  when  you  would  join  the  ranks 
’Twill  be  the  end  of  the  strife. 


Will  you  not  offer  yourself  to-day, 

To-day  while  yet  there  is  light? 

For  when  you  would  gladly  give  up  all, 

It  may  be  eternal  night.” 

— G.  M.  P.  IN  India’s  Women. 


